Quake III Arena

"FPS's greatest engine to date powers an extremely mediocre game"

PROLOGUE:
Yes, I know how many mods are out for Q3:A and I know all about what they do. This is regarding the game, as installed off the CD. Reviewing a modded version would be like putting a Camaro engine inside of a go-kart and then bragging about how great that type of go-kart is. Anyhow, on with the review...

GRAPHICS: 7/10
The levels look nice and all, but everything seems a bit too cheap. The Rocket Launcher in particular looks like a toy. The rocket flares make it look more like what you just shot was a fireball as opposed to a rocket. The characters are well-modelled, but some of them are just plain stupid (Fat people don't belong in DM!)

SOUND: 3/10
Yuck! Okay, first off, the music (the little there is) is VERY VERY VERY boring. I don't mean just boring, I mean about as boring as Al Gore speeches with Spanish subtitles.

The weapon effects? Come on, they could have made a better sound for the rocket launch, DEFINATELY could have used a louder sound for the shotgun firing, and the explosion sounds are just plain weak. The explosive weapon sounds in this pack about as much punch as a cake falling off a countertop.

Then the voiceovers... Ugh! The announcer is somewhat amusing, but seriously, the voices used for this are BAD. My favorite example? Listen to Sarge when he lands hard. Sounds more like he just got kicked in the stomach while holding a pillow in front of it.

GAMEPLAY: 2/10
Whew! What a way to ruin a franchise! Let's go over the weapons one by one...

Gauntlet - Yeah, this thing's fun. Only problem is you have to corner a guy with it to do much. The fact that you get a badge for killing people with this should clue you in as to how useful this REALLY is.
Machinegun - If you're Quad-powered, maybe you can do something with this. Otherwise, look for a better gun!
Shotgun - Now THIS could have been MUCH better. It's essentially the same power as the Flak Cannon from Unreal Tournament, except... it's a shotgun! What do I want, a hot metal spray machine, or a double-barrelled cheap-looking shotgun?
Grenade Launcher - Seems much less effective than the Quake 2 version... maybe it's just me
Rocket Launcher - This IS the game! What does every player do if there's no railgun? They go for this! It's all about this!
Railgun - Now, seriously, anyone who hasn't played Quake 2 probably thinks that this is a very original and ''cool'' idea. The Quake 2 one looked better in-hand, and the effect that was shown when it was fired was MUCH niftier.
Plasmagun - Good luck hitting with this one while online! Oh, it conveniently lets you suicide near walls too.
BFG - Who could possibly not like what is essentially a rapidfire rocket launcher? The Quake 2 BFG was better, and more balanced too!

Okay, now let's disect the game. You have single player which is..... Hey, where's my single player!? Bot training? After all the long missions I've played through in Quake 2 and Unreal, putting in bot training is pathetic. No, I'm not forgiving Unreal Tournament for doing such either. But at least Id could have called this something more accurate like ''Quake: Deathmatch Arena''

Okay, I get it now... This is a MULTIPLAYER game! A rather interesting multiplayer game, in which half of the weapons in the arsenel are never even seen. I don't even remember the last time I saw someone use the Grenade Launcher or Lightning Gun other than the first 6 seconds after they pick it up, or the last time someone favored a Plasmagun or Shotgun over a Rocket Launcher or Railgun. The fact of the matter is, Id beefed this game full of brand new weapons, and most of them don't even get used much.

Oh, and now Id wants me to feel all cool because they've included a pre-made Capture the Flag mode! Um... with only 4 maps? What a joke! Why must I go to the store and buy Q3:TA if I want more CTF maps? They should include more with it!

REPLAYABILITY: 5/10
Hey, it's multiplayer... what more need be said? Still, Quake 2's mission pack was a blast, worth playing many times. After frags become as easy as sitting in my chair, and gibs fly around me like rain, this game gets boring.

MY ADVICE:
Whew! Okay, LAN owners, do your members a favor and get Quake 2 INSTEAD OF THIS.

Don't like that idea? Don't have a LAN? Great. Get Unreal Tournament, which has a few more weapons, better weapons, and two distinctly different modes of fire per weapon, with more CTF maps, better DM maps, great graphics, several new game modes, a cooler announcer, occasions (killing sprees, head shots, first blood, etc.), and everything Id forgot to put in this. Funny thing is, now Id wants you to pay for Q3:TA so they can sap your pocketbook even more so you can get a bunch of stuff that they should have put in this game in the first place!

Looking for an FPS that's more worth your while? Great. Unreal, Quake 2, Elite Force, Sin, and Deus Ex are perfect for your time occupation needs. Unless you're absolutely dying to frag your stubborn friends who refuse to get Unreal Tournament, stay away from this.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 01/25/01, Updated 01/25/01